[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Local Logic.]

Enables consumers, investors, developers, and governments to better understand cities through location intelligence in the form of webtools, APIs, data, and analytics, Local Logic produces seventeen location scores in categories such as Transportation, Services, and Character, heatmap layers that can be loaded onto many major map technology providers. Providing access to location quality, demographics, parcel zoning, nearby comps, and other insights, its product offers customers thorough insight into neighborhoods and cities far and wide.

They interpret the $217 trillion real estate market by analyzing over 85 billion data points a month using AI, and its suite of tools are available across the US and Canada.

What we like: With a deeper understanding of Canada than we’ve seen anywhere else, and with offerings ranging from neighborhood scoring and heatmaps to webtools, APIs, one-click reports, and data analytics–Local Logic is a robust location intelligence platform with a bright future.

Learn More

The post Location Intelligence for an All-Encompassing Range of Users appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Endpoint.]

A mobile-first title and escrow company company, Endpoint is working to deliver a hassle-free closing process. It provides agents, buyers, and sellers with real-time progress tracking and notifications, in-app messaging, e-signatures and document management, and access to a dedicated closing team. Buyers can also securely transfer funds within the app, and when it’s time to sign physical documents, Endpoint sends free mobile notaries.

Endpoint currently operates in Washington, California, Arizona, and Texas, and offers a flat escrow rate of $1,000 or less depending on state.

What we like: Spun out of First American in 2019 with $30 million in funding, the company added another $40 million to its coffers late last year. Endpoint has the flexibility to iterate as a standalone entity with support from a corporate titan with tentacles into every facet of the real estate industry.

Learn More

The post Technology and Industry Expertise Combined for a Modern Closing Experience appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: OktoHub.]

OktoHub allows agents to hire other agents to assist with showings, attending inspections, staffing open houses, and other customizable tasks. The on-demand platform enables agents to pay only for needed tasks, without committing to a long-term hire. OktoHub also enforces a non-competitive and no-poaching policy to guarantee user trust; agent-assistants are not allowed to prepare or negotiate contracts on the realtor or client’s behalf, and are instructed to direct any questions regarding preparing an offer back to the hiring agent.

Currently operating solely in the state of Washington.

What we like: The platform saves agents time by allowing them to contract agent-assistance. Meanwhile, OktoHub provides a way for newer agents without their own book of business to generate revenue and gain experience.

Learn More

The post Giving Realtors Extra Arms to Help Manage Listings appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

Real estate fraud is terrifying. Even some of the best in the business get duped, like Barbara Corcoran and her staff. Consumers are trusting professionals in the industry to take care of them and the buying and selling of their largest assets, so we have to be prepared for deceit.

We receive phishing emails all of the time and alert our staff to not respond as soon as we can. We even invited several cyber security experts to speak at our company and ensure our team is aware and equipped to detect scams immediately on their own. Even still, fraud in real estate is something we all have to continue to be vigilant about and continue to advance the industry to make it more difficult for cyber criminals to win. 

Quick Tips to Avoid Wire Fraud

• Don’t open any links you don’t recognize
• Don’t reply to phishing emails
• Always call and confirm with parties involved before sending funds
• Avoid downloading suspicious files that could contain malware
• Protect your computer and other devices with anti-malware software
• Be careful about where you access sensitive information

Past phishing emails, fraudsters are posing as buyers, sellers, or even other real estate professionals and go through the process until they acquire the funds they desire and run off with thousands of dollars! Not only are these scams affecting clients, but everyday real estate professionals as well, like in the case of an escrow officer in Tacoma, Washington. Thankfully the team noticed irregularities with the $101,380.00 check and were able to stop the process in its tracks. This is only one story of many that has inspired us to make a change in the money transfer process in the real estate industry.

Physical paper checks can be easily altered or forged while also requiring consumers to go to a bank to retrieve them. Yes, check fraud is a thing! Unfortunately, wires are just as tedious with high fraud risk involved as well as associated bank fees. Since fraud tends to occur at times where money is being transferred, whether it’s an earnest money deposit or other closing costs, it’s time we look outside of old school methods and embrace technology to keep our personal information and money safe.

Revolutionary Technology in Real Estate

Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions are becoming the new normal in regular transactions. How often do you find yourself paying a friend through Venmo or buying something online via Paypal? It’s easy, fast, secure, and right at your fingertips, so why aren’t we using this method for real estate transactions? Currently, platforms like these only allow for a certain dollar amount to be transferred at a time and real estate transactions usually surpass these but think about how many times a platform of these capabilities would’ve been beneficial in the past.

Fortunately, new ACH platforms, like paymints.io are arising that allow larger sums to be transferred making it ideal, safe, and convenient for earnest money deposits, cash-to-close for refinances, and more. We built Paymints.io to be as secure as a top-tiered bank and using the same high level of encryption, strong ID verification, and transaction tracking. This process ensures that all parties involved in a money transfer are exactly who they say they are and that the money gets to where it is supposed to go.

The paymints.io solution takes a comprehensive approach to solving wire and check fraud for both incoming transfers for earnest money deposits and cash to close as well as for disbursements to sellers, homeowners, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, and other vendors who are paid at closing traditionally with wires and checks. The disbursement engine allows recipients to receive their funds securely and digitally with real-time tracking capabilities.

Preventing real estate fraud, or any other fraud, starts with you, and those on your team. By following some simple, logical cyber security protocols, always being alert of links you open, as well as using advanced and secure technology to further minimize the risk of fraud, you can ensure safe transactions for your organization and your clients. Have you had any fraudulent experiences within your company?

The post Fight Fraud, Don’t Fear it appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Module.]

Module offers a range of factory-built modular houses that are optimized for infill development and offsite manufacturing. Factory-construction allows Module to offer more precise construction and a 25-40% quicker build time than traditional homes, and each home is built to the Zero Energy Ready Home standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Module also coordinates all contractors, architects, and electricians for a smoother construction process, offers finish packages that allow for customization while ensuring durable and environmentally conscious material choices, has access to a network of landowners, neighborhood organizations, and realtors to help housing providers or homeowners find the best lot for their home, and offers access to financing partners who know how to work with modular construction. Post-construction, Module monitors the utility performance of the home, occupant comfort, secures any certifications, and coordinates any warranty-related items.

What we like: From site selection and financing options, to construction management and finally post-construction monitoring, Module delivers the whole package when it comes to new-build infill homes.

Learn More

Note: Module is the first startup profiled in Blueprinting Proptech, a new series in the GEM to analyze early-stage companies paving the future of property technology. Apply to the GEM if interested in accessing it.

The post A Start-to-Finish Manufacturer of Factory-to-Site Infill Homes appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Editor’s note: Adapted from an article previously published on Forbes by Natalia Karayaneva, the founder of Propy.]

Just months ago, the very first fully virtual house sold online—and for a rather significant $514,558. It won’t be the last to sell: A digital real estate twitter page actively sells virtual properties, and digital real estate is actively bought and sold on virtual role-playing games such as Superworld. The technologies enabling this (head-scratching) phenomenon—NFTs, or rather non-fungible tokens—are cryptographic “tokens” that represent something unique, such as a piece of art, music, or other collectible. Prior to NFTs, it was almost impossible to authenticate and “own” digital art or music, since it’s so easy to take a screenshot or simply download a file. Since NFTs provide a unique, unforgeable signature, owners can now prove provenance, making this type of purchase a more lucrative and realistic investment.

As fascinating as the foray into digital ownership is, more intriguing is the opportunity to utilize NFTs in the physical world. The blockchain technology ERC721 (NFT standard for unique tokens on Ethereum) and related standards enable frictionless, secure digital asset trading anywhere in the world. The buzzy headlines of multi-million dollar virtual asset sales are merely setting the stage for a faster and more transparent way to transfer both money and ownership online of valuables in the real world—of everything from physical art to diamonds and wine to yes, physical real estate.

THE HOW
The process operates slightly differently than a traditional real estate sale: First, there is a legal preparation for the sale of a property as an NFT. Then an NFT is “minted,” which includes descriptive and legal data about the property, access to paperwork, disclosures, reports, image files, and even videos. The NFT is proof of ownership. Legally, whoever possesses the NFT owns the property.

That NFT, which resides on a public distributed ledger, can then be placed into an existing NFT marketplace for sale, such as seenhaus, OpenSea or Gemini’s Nifty Gateway, or into a future real estate NFT-focused marketplace. Potential buyers bid for the property. Once a winner is determined, the buyer pays for the property in fiat or cryptocurrency, via a smart contract designed to perform an escrow function. After funds are released to the seller and the NFT is transferred to a wallet controlled by the buyer, the buyer completes paperwork to finalize legal ownership transfer within minutes.

In the case of Propy’s recent NFT auction of Michael Arrington’s Kiev apartment, the ownership of the physical property was actually held and recorded in Ukraine as a US LLC–and the winner became the owner of the NFT, which gives the rights to the LLC. Arrington signed proprietary-developed legal papers for NFTs to transfer ownership to all future buyers. The collectible NFT included:

1. Access to ownership transferred paperwork.
2. The apartment picture.
3. A unique digital art NFT by a popular Kyiv graffiti artist, Chizz (a physical painting of the digital artwork is painted on a wall of the apartment).

For that particular auction, Propy also partnered with Helio Lending to secure financing to future real estate NFT owners.

CHALLENGES EXIST
There are interesting challenges to solve before real estate NFTs can play a significant role in the industry:

• Crypto tokens currently face issues such as gaps in smart contracts, and lost passwords/cryptographic keys (if you forget your private key to bitcoin when you don’t use custody wallets like Coinbase or Abra, then you lose bitcoin forever). Potential rules for NFT transfers in real estate would need to consider locking the money, but not the asset itself, to avoid unclaimed property rights, as it was developed for the first real estate NFT for the Arrington’s property.
• The first NFT was done for the entire property, but it could be also done for fractional ownership, which is harder to accomplish due to the regulatory environment. Crowdfunding via NFTs is an exciting use case, but it triggers a need to file with the SEC, so either secondary trading of NFT securities will become more user friendly, or regulations will need to change before fractional ownership via crypto becomes commonplace.

Properties have been sold via blockchain for several years now—in fact, Propy conducted a transaction in which cyber-currency was used to buy an apartment in Ukraine and the title was registered on a cyber-ledger in 2017, and since the thousands of transactions with over $1bn in volume have been recorded on blockchain in the US. Propy, as well as other companies, are already developing new ways to support and manage the application of NFTs, such as homeownership transfer for entire homes, not fractions. It’s easier to transfer 100% property rights for a real estate asset via blockchain without triggering the securities law violation.

This is a no-brainer for Henry Elder, President of the International Blockchain Real Estate Association: “Imagine I could buy a house as an NFT, and instantly borrow against the NFT using DeFi or TradFi products with a 2-4% interest rate. Why would I ever go through the brain damage of using Wells Fargo or Chase, with their months of nightmare due diligence?”.

FUTURE OF NECESSITY
The real estate industry is notoriously slow in adopting new technologies, even though it was the first industry to adopt e-signatures. However, the very nature of real estate makes it ideal for blockchain applications—it is immovable and easily findable by third parties with blockchain-based claims on it as collateral or otherwise.

It’s true. Many believe that blockchain technology isn’t necessary now and will become necessary as the world continues to digitize. Just like the Internet wasn’t necessary in real estate 20 years ago, and now neither consumers nor the industry cannot operate without the Internet. However, blockchain as a secure, lower cost, and more efficient technology should be added as a layer to the traditional closing flow, just like e-signatures were. This would eliminate wire and title fraud, and decrease transaction costs in favor of affordability issues.

The near-term future is automating transactions via smart contracts, that includes integrating escrow and title, and auctioning homes as NFTs with the help of forward-looking agents and cutting edge platforms.

NFTs are having a “moment,” and companies are already pushing this innovation forward. With Millennials, Gen Z’ers, and the connected generation much more comfortable with cryptocurrency and defi, real estate can once again be the industry adopting one of the most transformative technologies of our time.

the GEM BRIEFING

A PRIVATE GROUP OF INDEPENDENT THINKERS, FREE FROM SPONSORED MESSAGES, SALES PITCHES AND NOISE

There are four parts to membership:

• Long-form articles covering the spectrum from shipping container co-living spaces to the battle for listing acquisition in the first iBuyer world war (Weekly Transmission).
• Curated real estate, startups, & built world links & analysis blended with out of the box ideas (Weekly Radar).
• Special reports (a category review of Small Landlord Prop Mgmt Software & quarterly earnings summaries).
• Networking opportunities with 400+ innovators from across the globe through the private forum & in-person gatherings.

OUR MEMBER PROMISE

• We deliver an exclusive, objective lens into the trends, companies, people, and ideas shaping real estate technology with thought-provoking analysis and conversations that keep you inspired every week.
• We help you make better, more well-informed decisions to help grow and support people and companies making a difference in real estate.
• We enable discovery and meeting others with shared interests online and in-person (whether they live near you or are traveling to the same conference).

GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING

• Transmissions and Radars have become a trusted signal for industry news and analysis.
• Articles and ideas are regularly discussed in product & strategy meetings.
• Our virtual workgroups bring together a diverse mix of C-Suite execs to discuss real issues.
• We’ve introduced members to new vendors, partners, and friends.

With a mission to attract the 1,500 most forward-thinking, and diverse, innovators, we’re looking for the best and brightest in all the land...

Membership is $129 / quarter

READY TO JOIN RIGHT NOW?

Apply for Membership

NOT QUITE READY?

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The post Bulling Real Estate NFTs over the Line appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Editor’s note: Originally published as a Radar entry for members of the GEM.]

Public is a new demonstration website by CityBldr to show cities “how many additional people could be housed on all available public land within the city limits,” according to GeekWire. The data, covering 100 U.S. cities and 255 different zoning standards, “can show everything from land valuation, parcel size, current zoning, what currently is on the land, and how many people could be housed on the land under existing regulations.” The goal of the campaign is “to get corporations to sponsor affordable housing nonprofits in order to get full access to the complete data that could reveal anything from low-hanging housing fruit to the underpinning of a long-term housing plan”–at a cost of $10,000 per year per city/corporation.

What’s not to love here? Transparency into cities that have the power to increase housing with their own land resources, and equipping nonprofits with the same powerful software that Fortune 500 clients pay bookoo bucks for. I agree with Bryan Copley‘s assertion that this “can really help change the amount of housing available.” And, let’s be honest, $10k is less than pocket change to the likes of Microsoft, Costco, Google, or Amazon. If they don’t sell out of at least the top 50 cities in a matter of months, I’ll be shocked.

*Disclosure: I’m an investor in CityBldr.

The post Transparency Leading to Affordable Housing appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

After a temporary pause in the Founder Interview Series, we’re back with another interview!

This week, we interviewed Mogens Smed from Falkbuilt.

Let’s go!

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Mogens Smed, CEO and co-founder of Falkbuilt, a technology company that is digitizing the conventional construction industry. Our solution, Digital Component Construction, is supported by our revolutionary technology, Echo, and an amazing team of Falkers (our 300+ employees) and our 85+ Factory-direct Branches across North America and around the world.

What problem does your product/service solve?

Digital Component Construction shortens the construction schedule, is far more sustainable than conventional construction and our prefab process requires far less labor onsite, something that is enormously helpful in a labor crunch. We use 30 percent fewer materials which is good for the planet, we have a very efficient and much smaller factory than other prefab manufacturers and Digital Component Construction is designed for disassembly, so digital components can be re-used until the end of their lifecycle. Our powerful, proprietary technology, Echo, provides a new, productive way for stakeholders—from their homes or offices anywhere in the world—to meet in the cloud, inside a Revit model, to discuss and make real time design changes.

What are you most excited about right now?

I am so excited to see the growth of our vision. We started this company two years ago and we have more than 85 Factory-direct Branches around the world bringing Digital Component Construction to their local markets. The market response is incredible.

What’s next for you?

I hope to start getting on the road more and visiting our Branches and clients across North America. Since the pandemic started, we’ve met hundreds of clients over 600 or 700 very effective Zoom tours of our factory. We take them through our Falkville, a showcase of our solutions and show the range of what we can do in healthcare, retail, commercial, education and industrial. We will keep doing the Zoom tours but I am also looking forward to meeting people face-to-face again.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

I am very passionate about the environment and our precious waterways. I am happy to support the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre on the Shuswap River in western Canada. It raises 50,000 Chinook salmon every year and offers educational programming to thousands of school children and visitors. I support the Pacific Salmon Foundation, which is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wild Pacific salmon and their natural habitats in British Columbia and the Yukon. And I am also a longtime supporter of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society dedicated to protecting and conserving all marine wildlife.

Thanks to Mogens for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop us a line (Community @ geekestate dot com).

The post Meet the Real Estate Tech Entrepreneur: Mogens Smed from Falkbuilt appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: zavvie.]

Zavvie offers a software suite that connects agents and their clients with instant sale, bridge, and other selling solution providers. Its products help agents present estimates for all selling options (including iBuyers) in a white-label offering, and provides a side-by-side offer comparison.

Its Offer Optimizer suite combines market-specific data and consumer-facing proprietary technology distributed through brokerages to increase their listing conversion ratio and attract new sellers.

What we like: Increased convenience and certainty alongside a larger quantity of selling options compared to the traditional open-market listing process thanks to their partnership with verified buyers is a win for clients, making Zavvie a no-brainer for brokerages looking to modernize their procedures.

Learn More

The post A White-Label Selling Suite Connecting Brokerages to New Buyers appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

One key way to future-proof your property management business is to use the right technology. Spreadsheets, paper ledgers and even existing software can quickly become outdated in such a fast-paced environment, so it is likely that – at some point – your business will benefit from a system upgrade. As the industry continues to evolve, new software features and landlord benefits are constantly emerging. Tenant and owner portals, automated data entry, electronic cash payment services and cloud technology are all examples of recent time and money saving utilities that could benefit your growing business. 

Is it time to explore new property management technologies? 

If growing your property management business is your ultimate goal, finding ways to save both money and time are critical. As your business grows, your needs are likely to change – systems like manual accounting or data entry might become unrealistic and take up valuable time (remember that manual processes are also more prone to human error). Reevaluate your business needs on an annual basis to identify the services that are the most important to your property management business. 

When you step back to look at the workflow and processes, closely examine the sticking points. If there is a technology that could make your life easier, and speed things along, then this can be a big factor in your decision. Think things like online payment processing, mobile apps, electronic signature integration, virtual inspection capabilities, and more. If your current software doesn’t provide these types of features, or doesn’t provide the customer service and support needed to take advantage of them, it might be time to move on. 

Where your data is stored is also an important consideration in today’s virtual world. To stay up-to-date, software really must be cloud-based. It is efficient, and facilitates access to your business information from any location at any time. As with any software, your cloud-based system must have stringent privacy and security measures to protect your sensitive data. 

Of course, cost-effectiveness is always a top consideration when choosing new software. Do some competitive research and ensure that the pricing is commensurate with the benefits received before making a decision about your new property management software. 

Considerations for making the change 

Don’t let fear of change keep you from making an upgrade that will benefit your business in the long run. Take advantage of demos, live tours, help articles and free trials to preview new software options and get a better sense of what might work best for you and your business. Pay close attention to support offerings for new clients to make sure you have the assistance you need to get things up and running. 

• What is the best timeline for my business? Timing is an important consideration here. Create a timeline for your transition to a new property management system based on length of training, how long it will take to upload your information to the new system, and your state and tax reporting requirements. Have a firm deadline for when your information will be closed out of the old system. 

• How will a transition affect my taxes and reporting? Unless you plan to input past data into your new system, understand that you will have two sets of reports to provide to your accountant at the end of the tax year.

• Are there any items that need to be wrapped up? Take care of any loose ends like updating outstanding balances, expenses or income. It is best practice to export all data and reports from your old system for recordkeeping purposes. Once you are officially up and running in your new system and have confirmed that you have copies of any pertinent data related to taxes, tenant or client information, etc., you can close out your old account.

Old school paper and pencil or spreadsheet tracking will only last you so long. Most landlords are already using some kind of property management software, but it is important to periodically take inventory of your needs. Thoughtful planning and a little research will help you find the software that best fits your business, leaving you with the time to focus on growing your business and caring for your portfolio. 

The post Switching Property Management Software? Tips for a Smooth Transition appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Neighborhoody.]

Neighborhoody is bringing transparency to HOA and Condo communities by collecting, maintaining, and publishing basic information in a central database. HOA and Community leaders can claim their community for free to share updates, securely publish information and documents, streamline operations, send emergency alerts, and increase community involvement.

What we like: By collecting, maintaining, and publishing information in a directory format, Neighborhoody is bringing transparency to the currently secretive HOA sector. As more financial and structural innovations take hold, Neighborhoody is well-positioned to become the go-to data repository for local HOAs.

Learn More

The post Bringing HOAs Into the Digital Era appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Roofstock.]

Roofstock enables investors to purchase whole or fractional shares of fully managed investment properties. In its marketplace, investors can sort properties by price, desired return, location, and even minimum down payment. Investors pay as little as 15K for a share of a property. Meanwhile, Roofstock One has an investment minimum of $5,000.

Property inspection and valuation information, title reports and insurance quotes, tenant details, payment history, and local property management options are all available in-platform, and during the closing period Roofstock helps investors finalize lending, insurance, and property management partnerships. Offers can be submitted for free, and investors will only pay a fee of $500 or 0.5% of the contract price if the offer is accepted. Rental income can be collected as soon as the sale closes.

What we like: Founded in 2015, the company has a big headstart in a fractional investment sector that is growing increasingly crowded, strong founder pedigree and real estate background, and is well-positioned for a robo-advisor future.

Learn More

The post A Stock Market for Investment Properties appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

The Blueprint Sessions is a podcast for exceptional founders of exceptional startups that are disrupting the real estate industry.

The goal is to provide a space for real estate startup founders to tell their stories to those who most need to hear them – potential investors, business partners, and forward-looking industry influencers. Besides the financials and the strategy, we’ll explore the human stories of the incredible entrepreneurs who are creating the future.

As a reminder, the podcast panelists are:

• Rob Hahn, Managing Partner, 7DS Associates
• Albert Hahn, ex-startup founder and ex-Head of Google for Startups Korea (who also happens to be Rob’s brother)
• Lynette Keyowski, Managing Partner of REACH Canada, NAR’s accelerator arm.

Previous guests:

• Bryan Copley from CityBldr served as the inaugural guest.
• Brian Gaudio from Module in Episode 2.
• Emir Dukic from Rabbu for Episode 3.
• Atticus LeBlanc from Padsplit for Episode 4.
• Ari Rubin from Flock Homes for Episode 5.

In the latest edition (Episode 6), Vin Vomero from Foxy AI talks about the work they are doing in visual property intelligence, as well as their consumer-focused product, Remodel It. Without further ado, listen/watch Episode 6…

Enjoy!

If you’re a founder looking to be profiled in a future episode, please apply for the GEM.

The post The Blueprint Sessions Episode #6: Vin Vomero from Foxy AI appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Groundbreaker.]

A real estate investment management platform, Groundbreaker gives teams access to CRM, portfolio management, fundraising automation, distribution tracking, and real-time reporting. Its software also handles compliance and security using ​​a built-in investor accreditation questionnaire and hosting data in SOC 1- (AKA “SSAE 16”), SOC 2-, and SOC 3-compliant data centers.

Real estate underwriter Jake Marmulstein founded the company in 2017.

What we like: The investor portal is a clear win over the piecemeal spreadsheets, decks, document file storage, and email historically used in preparing investment materials and managing investor relations.

Learn More

The post One-Stop for Real Estate Investment Management appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

Our “Proptech networking roulette” networking series continues tomorrow (July 14th) at 9 am PST…with a twist. Hosted in collaboration with London & Partners’ Mayor’s International Business Programme, the aim for this round of (virtual) 1-on-1 conversations is for London & Partners’ 16 scale-up proptech companies to learn more about the real estate market in North America and meet a handful of the amazing innovators from the GEM.

This session is part of London & Partners’ Proptech North American Virtual Trade Mission. They will feature the delegates who are part of the Mayors International Business Programme. The companies on the mission work broadly in the built environment and in the below subsectors:

• Sustainable Construction and Building
• Building Illumination and Design
• IoT and Smart Building Integration
• Community Engagement
• Land Use and Planning
• Talent for the Proptech Industry

Participants will…

🤝Make valuable connections
💡Learn what others in Europe & the GEM community are up to

**Logistics: We’re using Gatheround to facilitate networking.

Are you a founder/exec interested in connecting with European entrepreneurs? Send us a note at community@geekestate.com with a link to your Linkedin profile and we’ll add you to the calendar invite.

The post Proptech Networking Roulette w/ London & Partners appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: StreetText.]

StreetText’s flagship product Lead Magnet gives agents access to ready-to-use Facebook ads that come with lead capture pages, text messaging A.I., integrated social information, and drip emails. The software has been used to launch more than 47,000 ads and generate over 3.3 million leads. Its dashboard provides a detailed breakdown of the effectiveness of each ad, as well as providing a place to track and manage new leads.

Direct Zapier connection means agents can integrate StreetText into the tools they already use.

Co-founder Stephen Whiting started StreetText in 2010, with LeadMagnet launching in 2014.

What we like: As a dedicated ad play focused on the single largest audience on the internet, what’s not to like?

Learn More

The post Ready-to-go Facebook Ads for Realtors appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

For the engineers out there interested in sustainability and real estate, the perfect job opportunity comes to you from C Change Labs: Software Enginner, Climate Change Tools.

More details about the opportunity:

C-Change is building a next-generation tool to help architects design climate-friendly buildings. We are looking for sharp Python or Javascript developers and software QA specialists who want to make a difference. If you’re always looking for ways to develop robust, well-structured software that users love, and aren’t afraid of making a few mistakes along the way, we’d like to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• You are part of a team developing technology that helps architects and engineers incorporate climate sustainability into their practice.
• You learn about sustainable construction and write code that makes sustainable practice more automated, convenient, and science-based.
• You work closely with our pilot partners, verifiers, and development team to implement core functions and user stories.
• You develop functions quickly by incorporating well-chosen libraries, SaaS services, and design patterns.

Learn more & Apply.

The post Software Engineer for Climate Change Tools appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

This week, we interviewed Caitlin Bigelow from Maxable.

Let’s get to it!

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Maxable. We’re a California-based company that connects homeowners with the resources and tools they need to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) – otherwise known as granny flats, in-law suites or casitas – from start to finish. This includes help with project planning, property evaluations, connections to designers and builders, and support along the way.

As a mission-driven company, we are fiercely dedicated to building a world where everyone has a home and are empowering homeowners to be part of the solution. We’re optimistic that accessory dwelling units will make a big impact on the housing crisis.

Each Maxable project starts with a property/project evaluation and from there, homeowners can choose to get our help securing a lender to finance the project, hiring a designer or opt to use our in-house design team, as well as finding and managing a general contractor to lead construction.

What problem does your product/service solve?

Up until January 2017, it was almost impossible to build ADUs in California. That all changed with the passing of Senate Bill 1069, which allows any home zoned for single-family to construct a second rentable unit. This was a great win, but I soon realized how little information was available for homeowners who wanted to begin the process – which is both complicated and expensive.

We launched Maxable in 2018 to help make planning simpler, research more pleasant, and construction more efficient.

One of the most challenging aspects of building an ADU, for example, is finding a quality, cost competitive general contractor who has direct ADU experience. A homeowner can spend months just trying to find the right company to build their project. To help, Maxable has curated a network of vetted, experienced contractors and makes personalized recommendations for each homeowner based on their project, goals and budget. We also help interpret the bids since there’s no standardization across the industry – making it very hard to compare final costs. These services alone save homeowners countless hours in the research and planning phases of their projects.

What are you most excited about right now?

I’m really excited to see ADU regulations expanding outside of California. More than 50 major U.S. cities have adopted their own ADU ordinances, and it would be great to see more legislation passed at the state level as well, like what’s now being proposed in New York.

Since launching in 2018, Maxable has helped thousands of California homeowners evaluate and begin their ADU projects. Now, we’re positioning the company to respond to the hundreds of thousands – and maybe millions – of potential ADU builders in markets across the country that are updating or revising regulations.

That’ll be welcome news for the household incomes of property owners, especially those dealing with post-pandemic financial challenges. And it’s also great for society at large as we grapple with the affordable housing crisis and try to create more equitable neighborhoods.

What’s next for you?

Right now, we are focused on scaling up the services we offer and adding more online tools and resources to our platform that allow homeowners to manage their projects in a more streamlined way.

We’re also expanding our capacity within California and will soon look into bringing our services to other markets around the country. We recently closed out our seed round and are now seeking investors to help continue our expansion.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

Outside of advocating for housing policy issues, I care deeply about advocating for racial equality. As someone who’s soon to have a daughter that will be a person of color, it’s even harder to ignore the injustices embedded in so many layers of our society. This extends from access to housing, education, health care and good careers.

Thanks to Caitlin for sharing her story. If you’d like to connect, find her on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop us a line (Community @ geekestate dot com).

The post Meet The Real Estate Tech Entrepreneur: Caitlin Bigelow From Maxable appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

The Blueprint Sessions is a podcast for exceptional founders of exceptional startups that are disrupting the real estate industry.

The goal is to provide a space for real estate startup founders to tell their stories to those who most need to hear them – potential investors, business partners, and forward-looking industry influencers. Besides the financials and the strategy, we’ll explore the human stories of the incredible entrepreneurs who are creating the future.

As a reminder, the podcast panelists are:

• Rob Hahn, Managing Partner, 7DS Associates
• Albert Hahn, ex-startup founder and ex-Head of Google for Startups Korea (who also happens to be Rob’s brother)
• Lynette Keyowski, Managing Partner of REACH Canada, NAR’s accelerator arm.

Previous guests:

• Bryan Copley from CityBldr served as the inaugural guest.
• Brian Gaudio from Module in Episode 2.
• Emir Dukic from Rabbu for Episode 3.
• Atticus LeBlanc from Padsplit as for Episode 4.

In the latest edition (Episode 5), Ari Rubin from Flock Homes talked about transferring rental properties into shares in a pool of houses using a 721 exchange. Without further ado, listen/watch Episode 5…

Enjoy!

If you’re a founder looking to be profiled in a future episode, please apply for the GEM.

The post The Blueprint Sessions Episode #5: Ari Rubin from Flock Homes appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

[Note from editor: The “Mastermind Showcase” highlights companies and news from members of the GEM. Today’s showcase: Bluefire Group.]

The Blue Fire Group operates a number of web-based marketing tools for the real estate, mortgage, and title industries, including:

1. Buying Buddy – An IDX plugin capable of integrating into agent or team websites built on WordPress, Squarespace, Webflow, and more. Features include advanced IDX search, as well as lead management & tracking.
2. Bluefire Sites – Semi-custom and custom WordPress IDX websites and lead management.
3. Single Property Sites – Templated property websites for individual listings. SPS has additional marketing features like SMS text and call capture, QR codes, and auto-generated PDF flyers.

Paul Eastwood has led the Blue Fire Group since it’s conception in 2002.

What we like: IDX solutions not owned by any one brokerage/franchise are a dying breed, but the Blue Fire Group has withstood the test of time.

Learn More

The post Marketing Solutions for Real Estate and Associated Industries appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.